Heloise: Veterans hospital might appreciate extra calendars

Dear Heloise: I read your column every day — lots of good suggestions. Thanks! A lady wrote in about getting so many calendars at the end of each year and not knowing a good place to take them.

My husband and I work at the veterans hospital and we take ours up to the veterans. We take from 25 to 60 each year, because people know that we do this and bring over the extra ones they get. If you have a veterans hospital near you, please take yours there! — Bobby and Louise in Texas

We called the veterans hospital here in San Antonio, and hospital officials agreed that they would gladly accept the calendars. They also accept:

■ Books and magazines, although they ask that the magazines be current within the past two months.

■ Clothing in good shape, but no underwear or socks unless they are new.

— Heloise

Dear Heloise: I finally found a way to display my American flag in front of my home while adhering to proper protocol. I placed an individual garden light, which charges with the sunlight during the day, aimed at my flag. It illuminates my red, white and blue at night so I can proudly display it all the time. — Ali in La Palma, Calif.

Dear Heloise: When preparing food, place all the items that go back in the refrigerator together so you can put them all back at once instead of repeatedly opening the refrigerator door. — Ruth Ferris, North Canton, Ohio

Here is another food-preparation hint, from Laura, via email. She says: “I always had a problem with the family not covering their food in the microwave, and there would be a mess! I finally solved this problem by tearing off waxed paper about 5 inches square. I put them in the drawer right next to the microwave.”

— Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 210-HELOISE or email it to heloise@heloise.com.